Was Buddha an atheist? Did Buddha reject the concept of God?
There are a lot of Fake Narratives that Buddha was an atheist. Yet, Buddhist texts are full of myriad of gods and deities -- which can also be seen in Buddhist temples from Japan to Sri Lanka. Here is a clarification.
“Buddha was NOT an atheist. Atheists believe there are no gods, there are no heavens, there is no afterlife, there is no Kamma/Karma. Buddha undeniably taught us that all of these are indeed extant. However, Buddha NEVER worshiped any gods -- but ALL the gods worshiped Buddha”
In Buddhist cosmology, the Adi Buddhas are at the highest realm -- along with their manifest Bodhisattva and Dharmapala deities. Hindu devas or gods are far LOWER than the Buddha -- they worship Buddha and prostrate before Him. This is a unique aspect of Buddhism and can be found in ALL major sutras and ALL major archaeology -- the Buddha being worshiped by all gods -- as Higher than all gods. The Buddha is NOT in the same league as other deities -- nor is He interchangeable with them. He is HIGHER than all the gods and this is unequivocal in ALL Buddhist texts. Anyone who suggests that Buddha was an atheist or Buddhism is atheistic has never read a single major Buddhist sutra.
Yes there are gods in Buddhism, but they have no stature compared to the Buddha or Bodhisattvas for Devas are not worshipped, and not all-powerful. The only all-powerful beings that are worshiped in Buddhism are STRICTLY BUDDHIST deities that are unknown to Hindus and all other religious communities.
The ONLY Indic deities that are frequently seen in Buddhism are Brahma and Indra -- neither of them are worshiped by Hindus or any other religious group. Sometimes, in Japan, one may find a Buddhist deity called Benzaiten -- who is ONLY honored as a Protector of the Golden Light Sutra but has NO connection to the Hindu Puranas. Buddhist deities are NOT Hindu in origin but strictly Buddhist. ALL Buddhist deities are based on the oldest texts and statuary of India -- and these are all STRICTLY BUDDHIST. Hindus do NOT worship the INDIC deities that one finds in Buddhism and NO BUDDHIST TEMPLE in the world worships ANY Hindu deity. ALL Buddhist temples ONLY worship Lord Buddha, Adi or Dhyani Buddhas and Buddhist deities such as Bodhisattvas. The occasional Vedic deity one may find in a Buddhist temple is positioned more as a "Dwarpala" or Guardian of the Gates - or as a disciple/follower/attendant of the Buddha. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.